The rally site Dirt Fish got hold of a proposal for new cars in the World Rally Championship. Henri Haapamäki was enthusiastic about the reforms. Decisions are expected on Wednesday.
20:16•Updated 20:25
The most important decision for the next few years of the World Rally Championship will be made next Wednesday. At that time, the highest decision-making body of the International Automobile Federation (FIA), i.e. the World Motor Sport Council, meets.
At the meeting, a decision is expected on which rules will be introduced in the World Rally Championship from the 2027 season onwards. This way, potential new car manufacturers would have two years to decide on their participation in the series and develop new types of cars.
Rally site Dirt Fish received a proposal that will be presented at the meeting. The proposal can be summarized in two core points.
1. Costs are reduced
In the proposal, the price ceiling for new cars is defined as 345,000 euros. The price of current Rally1 cars is estimated to be around one million euros.
Costs are also controlled by reducing the number of team personnel in World Cup rallies.
2. New cars closer to Rally2 cars
Rally2 cars are used in the second category of the World Rally Championship, i.e. the WRC2 series. The series championship was won in the season that ended Sami Pajari.
Rally2 cars are used for the national championships of several different countries, as well as the victory in the European rally series.
According to the proposal, from the 2027 season onwards, the cars in the main class of the World Championship would use the engines, transmission and brakes of Rally2 cars. The target weight of the new cars (1230 kg) also corresponds to the current weight of the Rally2 cars.
However, the cars would be built in the tube frame body familiar from Rally1 cars. The tube frame has increased car safety and freed up car design.
Autosport previously said that car manufacturers would be offered the opportunity to build the car’s power source as fully electric or hybrid as well.
Henri Haapamäki on the proposal: “Rapidly more drivers”
Urheilu’s rally expert Henri Haapamäki the proposed rules seem good. New car manufacturers have not been obtained with the current rules.
– Even though as a rally fan I would like to see powerful “monsters” like today, there have been too few cars.
The proposed rules would allow the current Rally2 cars to be closer to the performance of the new cars.
– I believe that by simplifying the rules and making cars cheaper, it is possible to get tougher competition and even more drivers, Haapamäki emphasizes.